- Title
- The development of a larval feeding regimen for dusky kob, Argyrosomus japonicus, with a specific focus on the effect of weaning period on larval development and survival
- Creator
- Keet, Thomas
- Subject
- Argyrosomus japonicus
- Subject
- Argyrosomus
- Subject
- Argyrosomus japonicus -- Larvae
- Subject
- Argyrosomus -- Larvae
- Subject
- Argyrosomus japonicus -- Larvae -- Nutrition
- Subject
- Argyrosomus -- Larvae -- Nutrition
- Date Issued
- 2019
- Date
- 2019
- Type
- text
- Type
- Thesis
- Type
- Masters
- Type
- MSc
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10962/146577
- Identifier
- vital:38538
- Description
- One of the biggest limiting factors in marine finfish aquaculture is the low survival rate of early-stage larvae. Most mortalities can be ascribed to the poor nutritional value of live feeds, sibling cannibalism, and various stressors that result in swim bladder hyperinflation and/or starvation during the larval stage. Research results vary on the best timing for the introduction of artificial feed for good survival and growth rate in dusky kob larvae. The main objective of this experiment was to improve survival and growth rate. The experiment focused on a new feeding regime that sought to wean larvae onto an artificial diet earlier than the current Argyrosomus japonicus standard (weaning commenced at 16 days after hatch (DAH) versus 20 days after hatch), based on findings and recommendations made by Musson & Kaiser (2014). Three trials were conducted, each with five replicates of the two treatments, namely the new feeding regime and the standard feeding regime in a fully randomised design. Samples from each tank were collected every two days for the duration of the trial. Morphometric measurements (standard length; body depth; eye diameter) obtained from these sample larvae were used to compare growth rates between treatments. The ratio of BD:SL was used to assess larval condition throughout each trial. Tank survival rates were calculated on the last day of each trial.The study indicated that in mean water temperatures ranging from 24.3 – 25.2 °C, dusky kob larvae can be weaned onto an artificial pellet diet from 16 - 21 DAH without any negative effects on growth, condition and survival. Results from the highest mean temperatures of Trial 2 show a better mean condition in the treatment group during the weaning period (p < 0.05). In Trial 3, with its lower mean water temperatures of 23.2 °C, larvae in both treatments showed stunted absolute growth rates of all biometrics when compared to results from the higher mean temperatures of Trials 1 and 2. During the first 6 days of Trial 3 larvae were in relatively poor condition, BD:SL ≤ 0.30. During this same period in Trials 1 and 2, mean BD:SL ≥ 0.31, suggesting that a BD:SL ratio of ≤ 0.30 in non-weaned dusky kob larvae is an indicator of a degree of starvation. A future study on the morphology and histology of the larval gastrointestinal tract, specifically the liver and intestines, and how this early weaning regime affects their ontogeny under differing temperature conditions this needed to investigate the validity of these initial data on dusky kob larvae condition.
- Format
- 83 pages
- Format
- Publisher
- Rhodes University
- Publisher
- Faculty of Science, Ichthyology and Fisheries Science
- Language
- English
- Rights
- Keet, Thomas
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